Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Color Change

Test strip of color washes over flower fabric.

 This week begins a busy month of teaching. The Summer Session at The Art League School starts and my four session class, Exploring Surface Design a la Carte, is a go. I'm also teaching two mornings at The Art League School's Fiber Camp. Both start this week.

It's become a tradition for me to teach my Wrapped Wire Animals at Fiber Camp. It's a project near and dear to my heart and one that will eventually become a book (or that is my hope). I've posted about it before and you can see some animals from last year's camp here.

A couple of wrapped tigers.

As with most art programs these days, there is a strong incentive to save on costs...especially the cost of supplies. In the past, I've purchased fabrics from G Street Fabrics. In an effort to save, last year I was handed a box with assorted cotton fabrics. Fortunately for me, there were some solid colors among the patterned fabrics. Also fortunate, most of the solids weren't too dark, but pastels. This gave me the opportunity to paint washes of colors over the pastels and to do some knotted and bound resist techniques. As a result, I was able to provide a more interesting color selection to the campers.

This year, I was at it again... pulling fabrics from the box and seeing what possibilities there were to change the look of the fabrics.


I came upon a flower print.

I decided to do a bit of over-painting. And this is the result.

Original fabric on left.

I can see that there are certainly more possibilities. I did a little test strip this morning with some other colors.


These fabrics are destined to be cut up into strips for the Fiber Camp project. However, I also teach this over-painting technique in a class called, Changing the Face of Fabric. Of course, painting over a fabric to change it is just one of so many things you can do to make a blah fabric become an interesting one.

Now I'm off to cut up these new fabrics for Camp!



Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Fifteen and Counting...


Fifteen patches completed and more in the works (many more...).


After four and a half hours of pouring down rain this morning, we are getting a short respite and a peak of sun.

Undoubtedly, this means we will have thunderstorms later.

I'm beginning to think I live in a tropical rain forest!

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Just Gelatin

Val H.

Val H.

I taught a new workshop today at G Street Fabrics called, Just Gelatin. It was three hours of making just gelatin prints.

Val H.



Val H.
Rosa O.
Rosa O.

As you can see we had a great time.

Holly L.'s prints
Holly L.
Holly L.

Lots of fabulous prints!

Love Christie O's colorful gelatin plate!
Christie O.
Christie O.

Thanks students...you were such an eager, enthusiastic and energetic bunch!

Brenda M.
Brenda M.
Kathleen C.
Kathleen C.
Kathleen C.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

First Five


Here are the first five squares for Crossroads.


During the meeting with my exhibiting group, F.I.N.E. (Fiber in Nearly Everything), I got some useful feedback and some possible new directions in which to take this piece.

There are many more squares to make.

Before I left Savannah, I laid out the large printed squares from the family printing project. I'll be painting/printing some fabric for borders around these and for the backing fabric.


It's going to be a busy summer!

Monday, June 24, 2013

Happy Anniversary Project

Print by Ivy.

This weekend, my family celebrated my parent's 60th anniversary.

Kai busy brushing paint on a block.

Whenever we get together  I like to plan an art project. To commemorate this auspicious event, I put together a printing project.

Ivy painting an anniversary wish.

Poppy getting ready to print

The results of all this printing will be an anniversary wall hanging.

One of Kai's prints.

Prints by Poppy.

Judy did some nature printing.

A how-to based on this project will be the focus of the next issue of Julie B Booth Surface Design News.

Even Poppy's feet got printed!

It was great spending time with family. Eating great food (lob-sta!), playing chess tournaments, swimming and just having fun.

Happy 60th Mom and Dad!
The Happy Couple.


Sunday, June 23, 2013

And the Winner is... And Another Roy Update


Maya! Congratulations for winning this month's Roy G Biv Challenge fabric. I will send it off to you soon.

Next month's color is Indigo...a tricky one. I will leave that open to your interpretation! Post your photos on Thursday, July 18 (third Thursday). Don't worry...I always send a little reminder.

We've been busy creating down here in Savannah and having fun celebrating my parent's 60th anniversary. I will post more soon.

This just in...due to funky computer scheduling Ersi's entry was a late comer...but is well worth a special visit to see her evocative blues. Please check them out!

Another late entry but please take a look at these beautiful blues from Carol at Barnacle Goose Paperworks.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Searching for Roy G Biv II: Blue Update #2


 I've been having quite a relationship with the color BLUE this month! Lots of painted and printed BLUE fabrics for projects and to sell. My contribution to the Search this month had me looking back to an amazing outdoor sculpture I discovered during a morning walk in San Francisco on a brilliant BLUE day.



The Search also includes photos from my recent walk around the streets of Old Town Alexandria in Virginia on a VERY rainy day (my sandals are still drying out!).


Two inviting places to sit.



A blue still life in a wonderful tea shop on Union Street.



Love this shutter--all askew.


The ubiquitous hydrangea, enjoying a good dousing of rain.

 If you are new to the Search for Roy (the colors of the rainbow), it's a little game that Jennifer Q and I came up with in the spring of 2012. Each month, we search for a particular color of the rainbow. This month it happens to be BLUE. Post up to five BLUE photos (it's okay if you do more) and leave a comment here or at Jennifer's blog and we will link to your blog. Or if you don't have a blog, send your photos to me in an email and I will post them for you here. You have until Saturday, June 22 (midnight Eastern USA time) to post.

 In addition, each month I create a Challenge Fabric in the color of the month. Here is my BLUE fabric.


By playing along, you have the opportunity to win this fabric in a drawing on Sunday, June 23.

Hope to see lots of BLUE today!

Check out the BLUES happenin' at Jennifer's blog this month (she's been having a love affair with BLUE and boy does it show!).

Deb at saltbushstitch was an early bird this month, posting her BLUES a day early!

Charlton Stitcher has a delightful tour of BLUE from her recent trip to Scotland.

Kim at Letting in the Light has an eclectic selection of BLUES and one in particular that is dear to her heart (congratulations, Kim!)

Fiona at Paper Ponderings has a thought-provoking BLUE.   

Liz has a deep twilight BLUE that draws you in.

Maya has an assortment of cobalt BLUES...but I can't get over that fish! 

Cindi at The Organic Manic joined the Search this month. She found herself surrounded by BLUE...which happens to be one of her favorite colors. 

Lisa at arzigogolare has joined in with some up-in-the-air and earthly BLUES.
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